Alexandra Michael
Blind spots around the museum.1 Understaffed security personnel.2 Weak security passwords.3 These are just some of the ways the Louvre “protected” its collections prior to the heist on October 19, 2025, during which eight items were stolen.4 During the heist, the only security camera in the area was pointed the wrong way, and the alarm didn't go off until the thieves breached the entry window.5 Museum director Laurence des Cars, who took the position in 2021, knew that the security system was outdated.6 Earlier in 2025, French President Emannuel Macron had promised sweeping renovations to the museum's security system.7 So, why weren't changes made soon enough, and will this failure to act result in the Louvre facing legal repercussions?
First, it’s important to understand the laws governing art in France. The Heritage Code is a French legal instrument that states that property having an important connection to French history is owned by the state.8 The Louvre, as a public museum owned by the state, is governed by the Heritage Code. All its items are owned by the public. Thus, when artworks or other items are stolen from the museum, not only does the museum as an institution face a devastating loss to its collection, but the French people are deprived of a piece of their cultural heritage. This structure results in a confusing legal dynamic. In this scenario, the Louvre, and thus the state, is both the victim of the theft and the negligent body. As a result, it would be challenging to hold the Louvre legally accountable.
Labor strikes also revealed flaws in the Louvre’s security. In June 2025, the Louvre experienced a rare, labor-related shutdown. Overcrowding, understaffing, and outdated security equipment led workers to strike.9 In fact, security workers claim they informed their union and the museum of critical “security shortcomings” in the month leading up to the heist.10 A potential thief would have the reassurance that their criminal exploits would be less likely to be impeded by overworked, thinly spread security personnel.
Moving forward, the French public will not find any relief through an insurance payout for their missing jewels. French law prevents public museums from obtaining private insurance since their works are property of the state.11 This insurance rule allows the museum to escape legal liability for the theft, but leaves the people of France without financial recourse for the loss of their heritage items, and the French state to bear the cost. The people of France are also unlikely to recover their jewels. Experts have said that since the pieces were so recognizable, the thieves have likely separated the jewels and melted down the metals.12 This would continue a trend of stolen Louvre goods never being recovered, as artifacts, including French King Charles X’s sword, stolen in 1976, and “Le Chemin de Sevres,” a painting stolen in 1998, are still missing.13
French law’s resistance to private insurance for its heritage pieces leaves its historical artifacts in a vulnerable position. Combined with the abysmal protections at the Louvre, the French public has little reason to believe their heritage will be safe. Perhaps the extreme negligence demonstrated by the museum, combined with the embarrassment the country is facing, could be enough to spur legal change to protect France’s history. In fact, days after the heist, President Macron demanded an acceleration in his previously announced plan to improve security at the museum. Hopefully, these measures will not be too little, too late.
[1] Joseph Ataman, You’ll Never Guess the Louvre’s Onetime CCTV Password (You Absolutely Will), CNN (Nov. 6, 2025), https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/europe/louvre-password-cctv-security-intl [web.archive.org/ https://web.archive.org/web/20251109011120/https://news.sky.com/story/louvre-worker-says-staff-repeatedly-warned-about-security-shortcomings-at-museum-before-jewellery-heist-13454131].
[2] Siobhan Robbins, Louvre Worker Says Staff “Repeatedly Warned About Security Shortcomings” at Museum Before Jewellery Heist, Sky News (Oct. 20, 2025), https://news.sky.com/story/louvre-worker-says-staff-repeatedly-warned-about-security-shortcomings-at-museum-before-jewellery-heist-13454131 [web.archive.org/ https://web.archive.org/web/20251109011120/https://news.sky.com/story/louvre-worker-says-staff-repeatedly-warned-about-security-shortcomings-at-museum-before-jewellery-heist-13454131].
[3]At one point in 2014, a password used by the museum was “LOUVRE.” Ataman, supra note 1.
[4] Catherine Porter & Aurelien Breeden, In Just 7 Brazen Minutes, Thieves Grab “Priceless” Jewels From Louvre, N.Y. Times (Oct. 19, 2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/world/europe/louvre-paris-robbery.htm [web.archive.org/web/20251109022958/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/world/europe/louvre-paris-robbery.html].
[5] Aurelien Breeden et al., Louvre’s Director Says Key Camera Was Pointing Away From Jewelry Thieves, N.Y. Times (Oct. 22, 2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/world/europe/louvre-museum-robbery-open-paris.html [web.archive.org/web/20251109023045/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/world/europe/louvre-museum-robbery-open-paris.html].
[6]Id.
[7] Eleanor Beardsley & Nick Spicer, The Louvre Will Be Renovated and the “Mona Lisa” Will Have Her Own Room, NPR (Jan. 28, 2025), https://www.npr.org/2025/01/28/nx-s1-5276917/louvre-renovation-mona-lisa-paris [web.archive.org/web/20251109015343/https://www.npr.org/2025/01/28/nx-s1-5276917/louvre-renovation-mona-lisa-paris].
[8]Code du patrimoine art. 621-37 (Fr. 2016) [Code of Heritage].
[9] Derrick B. Taylor & Alex Marshall, Louvre Staff’s Work Stoppage Shutters Museum for Hours, N.Y. Times (June 16, 2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/arts/design/louvre-staff-strikes-tourism.html [https://web.archive.org/web/20250911233009/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/arts/design/louvre-staff-strikes-tourism.html/].
[10]Robbins, supra note 2.
[11] Megan Cerullo, Stolen Louvre Jewels Weren’t Privately Insured, French Government Says, CBS News (Oct. 21, 2025), https://www.cbsnews.com/news/louvre-heist-stolen-jewels-not-insured-french-government-says/ [web.archive.org/web/20251109012259/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/louvre-heist-stolen-jewels-not-insured-french-government-says/].
[12]Jon Henley, Prosecutor Has “Small Hope” of Recovering Louvre Jewels Thanks to Gear Left by Thieves, Guardian (Oct. 24, 2025), https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/24/louvre-jewels-recovery-dna-fingerprints [web.archive.org/web/20251109013401/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/24/louvre-jewels-recovery-dna-fingerprints].
[13] Mason Leath, A History of Heists at the Louvre: From the Mona Lisa to Napoleon’s Jewels, ABC News (Oct. 20, 2025), https://abcnews.go.com/International/history-heists-louvre-mona-lisa-napoleons-jewels/story?id=126680032 [https://web.archive.org/web/20251117220658/https://abcnews.go.com/International/history-heists-louvre-mona-lisa-napoleons-jewels/story?id=126680032].
[14] Agence France-Presse, Louvre Museum Reopens for First Time After Jewel Heist, Macron Orders Security Measures, Le Monde (Oct. 22, 2025), https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2025/10/22/louvre-museum-reopens-for-the-first-time-after-jewel-heist_6746670_7.html [web.archive.org/web/20251109022844/https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2025/10/22/louvre-museum-reopens-for-the-first-time-after-jewel-heist_6746670_7.html].